Don Corleon Presents Dub in HD

One of Jamaica's top producer Don Corleon is set to drop his most recent project, Dub in HD, on June 21. Its not very often you hear dub music being produced and mixed in Jamaica

A Youtube clip of Jamaican producer Don Corleon dubbing was released in February of this year this confirmed that he was working on a dub album titled 'Dub in HD'. In February a Youtube clip of Jamaican producer Don Corleon dubbing in his studio started circling around. Soon it was made official that he was working on a dub album titled 'Dub in HD'.

Children preserving their dads' musical legacies

MANY of the world's recording and performing artiste fathers have had the pleasure of watching their children follow in their footsteps in the music industry.
American singers Nat King Cole, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway and Nina Simone come easily to mind when one examines the slate of legendary entertainers in North America. Actor/rapper Will Smith, of more recent vintage, has gone a step further as his two children are making names for themselves in the performing arts.

Locally, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Freddie McGregor and Jimmy Riley are among the many fathers whose children have chosen music as their career, thereby preserving their fathers' legacies.

Reggae Sumfest Honours Beres ... The King Of Lover's Rock

Internationally acclaimed singer Beres Hammond returns to the Reggae Sumfest stage with much fanfare after a three-year hiatus. Summerfest Productions, organiser of the festival, will honour the musical stalwart at the event with thousands of Beres' fans there to witness it. Reggae Sumfest, set for July 17-23 in Montego Bay, promises to be an explosive affair featuring top acts such as international sensation Nikki Minaj, and Jamaican superstars Ce'Cile, Tifa, KipRich, Protoje, Jah Cure, Half Pint and Konshens.

Always a crowd favourite, Beres Hammond will wow the audience with timeless hits like No Disrespect, Can't Stop A Man From Trying, Standing In My Way and She Loves Me Now, to name a few.

Dancehall artiste accused of electricity theft

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Friday June 10, 2011 – Popular dancehall artiste O’neil ‘Elephant Man’ Bryan has been charged in connection with an illegal electricity hook up that robbed the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) of thousands of dollars every month.

It’s unclear how long the illegal connection was in use, however.

Bryan pleaded not guilty to the charge of abstracting electricity when he appeared in court yesterday and was ordered to be back in court again on August 30th.

The alleged crime was discovered last Thursday, according to police, when a team from the power company went with lawmen to an apartment building in the capital, Kingston.

They found that the meter had an illegal connection which went to the apartment Bryan was living in.

Local media reports say that investigators determined that the appliances in his residence consumed about 2,200 kilo watt hours per month, totalling J$68,000 (US$802) per month.

Barbee promoting new video

Singer Barbie is currently in Jamaica promoting her latest offering — the completed video for Come See About Me, featuring US rapper Trina.
“Shot on location in Los Angeles, the video is clean, full of energy, overflowing with a glitzy wardrobe, beautiful bodies and a bit of passion,” a news release from her publicist says.

“The video shoot was a lot of fun,” Barbee recalled. “Trina was just fabulous, the dancers strutted their stuff and the leading man was a dream to work with. The video director is amazing and all the elements combined to produce a quality video that we can all be proud of.”
The video was officially premiered on CVM’s On Stage with Winford Williams last Saturday.

Wayne Marshall and Sean Paul deliver new collaboration

DANCEHALL recording artistes Wayne Marshall and Sean Paul have again teamed up on a brand new mainstream single titled Here We Go for production label Washroom Entertainment.

According to a news release from their publicist, the collaboration “has been getting steady radio airplay both locally and overseas while social networks fans continue to buzz about the track which had become highly anticipated due to early mentions from both artistes on their Twitter page”.

Both artises previously collaborated on As Far As I Can See and Yard Bone, which was featured on Sean Paul’s platinum-selling 2005 album Trinity.

INKED AGAIN?

Rihanna is known for her love of tattoos and so far has at least 14 etchings on her skin. However, the Bajan beauty has seemingly become addicted to inking and may be adding to her collection. The 23-year-old visited a tattoo parlour in New York yesterday, seemingly on a mission to get a new design. Rihanna wore a short-sleeved, long, black dress with a thigh-high split.

She dressed down her ensemble with flat black sneakers and carried a large denim Prada bag. Her long-flame-coloured hair cascaded over her shoulders in wavy curls and she carried a red rose that a fan gave her just before she entered the store. It's not yet known what the feisty star had done but it will only be a matter of time before she shows it off if she had a new one added.

Mary Mary Delivers Gospel In Harmony

It was a concert fit for Christians. Through the ministry of some soul-speaking songs and gripping testimonies, the artistes, few in number, entertained and re-educated converts.

International renowned sister act, Mary Mary, also known as the Campbell Sisters, had the 'church' laughing and singing, with fantastic performances of their popular songs. They proved without a doubt to be wonderful singers with commanding stage presence. But church is about testimonies, and the best ones came from the local gospel artistes, Prodigal Son and Thrillers United.

Hangover II rakes in US$105.8m in 3 days

LOS ANGELES, USA (AFP) — Madcap comedy sequel The Hangover: Part II yesterday toasted a weekend romp at the North American box office where it rang up a dizzying US$105.8 million in three days.

The critically panned sequel, described as quite like the original, follows four men celebrating a pre-wedding brunch in Bangkok, much like the bachelor party in Las Vegas in the first movie The Hangover that made stars of underground comedian Zach Galifianakis and actor Bradley Cooper.

Sean Paul 'Blazes Fia' as producer

INTERNATIONALLY recognised deejay Sean Paul has added the title producer to his list of musical accomplishments with the release of his rhythm, Blaze Fia.
According to a release from his publicists, Headline Entertainment, the Grammy award-winning Sean Paul had wanted to work behind the scenes as a producer since he began his career 16 years ago.

"It's another part of my artistry," the release quoted the multi-platinum-selling deejay who recently expanded his thirst for music by learning to play the guitar and drums.

Sean Paul had actually stepped out of the spotlight and behind the mixing board for his album Imperial Blaze which saw production work from Don Corleon, Coppershot, Craig 'Leftside' Parks, Jeremy Harding and Stephen 'Di Genius' McGregor.

Sean Kingston Now Stabilised And In ICU

Hip-hop singer Sean Kingston has been stabilised and moved to the intensive care unit at a hospital, after crashing his watercraft into a Miami Beach bridge, his publicist said yesterday.

The publicist, Joseph Carozza, said Kingston's family is grateful for everyone's prayers and support.

Kingston and a female passenger were injured when the watercraft hit the Palm Island Bridge around 6 p.m. Sunday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino said.

Poetry Society Turns 22

The quintet which formed the Poetry Society of Jamaica sketched out their plan on the walkway behind the upper tier of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts' amphitheatre in 1989. Tonight, for the first time in the Society's 22-year history, they will gather as a unit in the performance space to be recognised for their pioneering role.

Two of them, Malachi Smith and Tomlin Ellis, read at the Talking Trees Literary Fiesta in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth, on Saturday.

Machel Montano Heads To CFW

Machel Montano, winner of Trinidad's Soca Monarch and Road March titles this year, headlines Caribbean Fashionweek's (CFW) first ever Caribbean Night, Saturday June 11.

Montano's performance comes as part of Pulse's latest innovation to CFW, where full, extended play concert performances become part of the package.

Each of the three show nights will now see superstar performances immediately following the fashion shows.

The themed show nights are Jamaica Night on Friday June 10, Caribbean Night on Saturday, June 11 and International Night on Sunday June 12.

Chino endorses Mother's Power Patty

DANCEHALL artiste Chino has signed an endorsement deal with Mother's Enterprise to promote the company's popular Power Patty product. The deal will see Chino, whose real name is Daniel McGregor, participating in various promotional and advertising campaigns which will seek to tap into the company's youth market.

"It's a feeling of accomplishment endorsing a company like Mother's which I have grown to recognise as a staple in Jamaica's food market since I was a child," said Chino. "I am looking forward to this relationship with them. I will be representing them to the fullest, just as how they have been representing and endorsing me."

Reggae Film Festival Grows

Long before declaring the 2011 Jamaica Reggae Film Festival officially open on Monday night at Studio 38, Trafalgar Road, New Kingston, a beaming Barbara Blake Hannah remarked "my, how we have grown!"

She said that at four years old, the festival is almost standing on its own feet, thanking the sponsors for their support.

Among the growth areas is the Make a Film in 24 Hours competition, sponsored by RBC/RBTT, which started at 9 a.m. on Monday, with 16 teams of one to five persons each slated to hand in their films yesterday at 9 a.m.

Rihanna wins Radio award at Billboard

"Barbados we got another one!"

And with those words, Barbados' own singing sensation Rihanna collected her award tonight at the Billboard Awards in Las Vegas. She won the Billboard Top Radio Artiste award. Rihanna was up against the likes of Usher, Drake and Bruno Mars.

Rihanna, with her flaming red tresses and clad in all white pants suit, also hailed music mogul Jay-Z.

Rihanna opened the show with Britney Spears with the remake of her hit S&M. She is expected to host the Billboard Awards after party. (CM)

Bob Marley still on top

He’s been dubbed the Master Blaster Jammer, the Black Moses, the Reggae King, modern day prophet and other fitting tributes.

These accolades only serve to confirm Robert Nesta Marley as undoubtably the most important figure in Jamaican and 20th century music. Unlike mere pop stars, he was also a religious figure and a major international record seller, a Rastaman whose Vibrations have shaken the world with tremors that will long outlive his short life.

May 11 this year marked the 30th annniversary of his death at just age 36 and WE Magazine today pays tribute to Marley with the excerpts from an article by Barbara Campbell featured in the 2010-2011 edition of the UK magazine Black Heritage Today.

Mary Mary To Headline Gospel In Harmony

Gospel In Harmony, a gospel showcase featuring some of the very best acts in the genre, will be staged by Premier Events on Sunday at the National Arena in Kingston, Jamaica.

Popular international gospel duo, Mary Mary, will be headlining the event and they will be joined onstage by Thrillers United, Prodigal Son, One Voice and the Kencot Youth Choir.

According to a spokesperson for Premier Events, "We recognise that there is a plethora of reggae and dancehall concerts on the island and, for that reason, Premier Events has taken the bold step to inject a breath of fresh air into the mix, with a cutting-edge gospel event catering to the entire family.

Vybz Kartel Issues Statement About His New Hairstyle

If you haven’t seen it for yourself, or heard of the controversy being caused by Vybz Kartel’s new hairstyle (pictures below), then you probably are one of the the many disillusioned dancehall fans who don’t understand the genre’s seemingly new path, so somehow this latest development missed you. An audio clip featuring Kartel explaining himself surfaced soon after the pictures, and now he has issued a release (via email to Dancehall.Mobi) dismissing the controversy as just ‘badmind’. See below:

Montserrat comes alive with unique summer festivals

BRADES, Montserrat -- Boasting budget-friendly villa rentals that offer all the amenities for a laid-back, easy-breezy Caribbean getaway, the island of Montserrat also welcomes visitors looking for an authentic “experiential” vacation.

With a rare mix of classic old-world charm and unique, quirky cultural events that showcase the destination’s rich heritage and traditions, Montserrat is a rare and unspoiled retreat for those who want to enjoy a low-key summer escape.